The Winter Season

Posted
by Tom Axtell on

Tom Axtell, General Manager

The “winter season” for PBS programming begins in January with the introduction of new programs on Vegas PBS Channel 10 and the muchanticipated return of Masterpiece’s Downton Abbey. Viewers can also look forward to expanded British drama and mystery from Masterpiece, including Grantchester in which a clergyman and local detective investigate a series of mysterious wrongdoings in their small village.

Your donations have made it possible for us to purchase new programs for Saturday night, including fresh episodes of Britain’s longest-running sitcom Last of the Summer Wine and New Tricks, a popular drama about a team of retired detectives who re-examine unsolved crimes.

Antiques Roadshow returns for its 19th season of treasure hunting, and Genealogy Roadshow is back for a second season as it connects people to historical events and personalities. Nature: Wild France takes viewers on a journey through France’s unexpected flora and fauna – a more wild side than “our” Paris on the strip. NOVA: Sunken Ship Rescue follows the epic operation to secure, raise and salvage the tragically capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship.

Vegas PBS continues to air local productions that uniquely present the complexities of Southern Nevada. This month, we will broadcast the governor’s State of the State Address, the CCSD Superintendent’s State of the District Address, and a new travel show, Southwest Living with Outdoor Nevada local favorite Brian Wignall.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and Vegas PBS will offer programming to shed light on the impact of this crime in our valley. With financial support from our Women’s Engagement Council, Vegas PBS produced Sex Trafficking: It’s Our Business. This one-hour program presents over a dozen local experts who discuss trafficking of minors in Southern Nevada, what it is, how it affects all of us, and what could be done about it. We’ve paired the broadcast with the PBS premiere of A Path Appears, a three-part national series that uncovers gender-based oppression and human rights violations facing women and girls across the globe.

We’ll also air two powerful documentaries that examine what it’s like to live with Parkinson’s disease. Living with Parkinson’s: Sandra Ransel’s Story of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) tells the story of a CCSD high school principal who received diagnosis and treatment for her condition from our local Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Cleveland Clinic. The same night we’ll air Living with Parkinson’s, which reveals the challenges of this progressive, degenerative and incurable brain disorder.

Thank you for your support this past year and for your continued support in 2015. Through your financial contributions, we are able to bring you this new season of favorite series, additional acquired programs, and local productions that examine important issues facing our community and our state. With the new viewer-advised Vegas PBS Source magazine layout, we hope all these great programs will be easier for you to discover and enjoy.